French: Exchanging Personal Greetings

Exchanging Personal Greetings

Key Vocabulary:

• Salut! – Hi! / Bye! (Informal)

• Bonjour! – Good morning / Hello (Formal or casual)

• Bonsoir! – Good evening

• Comment ça va? – How’s it going? (Informal)

• Comment allez-vous? – How are you? (Formal)

• Ça va bien, merci. Et vous? – I’m good, thank you. And you? (Formal)

• Ça va bien, merci. Et toi? – I’m good, thank you. And you? (Informal)

• Au revoir! – Goodbye!

• Bonne journée! – Have a nice day!

• Bon après-midi! – Good afternoon (Used when saying goodbye)

When to Use Greetings:

1. Salut! – Use for informal greetings (friends, peers) and partings.

2. Bonjour! – Use for formal or daytime greetings.

3. Bonsoir! – Use for evening greetings.

4. Comment ça va? – Informal: Ask friends or people your age how they are.

5. Comment allez-vous? – Formal: Ask elders or in formal settings.

Common Conversations:

• Formal Introduction:

  • Robert: Salut, tout le monde! Je vous présente Jack.

  • Jack: Bonjour!

  • Robert: Papa, je te présente Jack.

  • Jack: Bonjour, Monsieur Morel.

• Asking How Someone Is:

  • Robert’s Father: Comment ça va, Jack?

  • Jack: Ça va bien, merci. Et vous?

  • Sylvie: Ça va, Sylvie?

  • Jack: Bien!

How to Respond to "How are you?"

• Ça va bien. – I’m good.

• Ça va mal. – I’m not doing well.

• Très bien. – Very good.

Saying Good-Bye:

• Au revoir! – Goodbye!

• Bonne journée! – Have a nice day!

• Bon après-midi! – Good afternoon (used when leaving).

Cultural Note:

• Faire la bise – A common French greeting involving kissing on the cheek, depending on the region.

• A handshake is common for formal situations.

Quick Practice:

• Jack meets a new person:

  • Arnaud: Salut!

  • Jack: Salut! Ça va bien?

  • Arnaud: Très bien. Et toi?

  • Jack: Bien!

• Saying goodbye:

  • Léa: Bonne journée! Au revoir!

  • Jack: Au revoir! À demain!

Summary:

• Salut = Hi/Bye (informal), Bonjour = Hello (formal), Au revoir = Goodbye (formal).

• Use Comment ça va? for informal, Comment allez-vous? for formal.

• Practice with both formal and informal responses, and use the right greeting for the time of day!